Oil and water separating means



G. P. HAYNES OIL AND WATER SEPARATING MEANS March 17,-1925.

' Filed Dec. 19, 3

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY March 17, 1925.

G. P. HAYNES OIL AND WATER SEPARATING mums 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.

ATTORNEY PatentedMar. 17:, 1925..

one sr rags Lancaenonenr. HAYNES, or new roux, n". Y., ASSIGNQR in Tom)OIL BURNER ANDENGI- NEERING ooaronn rron", on NEW YORK, "at, Aconronarrou or NEW YORK.

OIL AN'D WATER SEPARATING MEANS.

- Application filed December 1a, 1923. Serial No. 681,543.

'To all whom; it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. HAYNES, a

citizen of the United States, residingat the borough of Manhattan, city,county, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Oil and later Separating Means, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to a vessel or barge 10 which is particularlydesigned and equipped Withmeans for the separation of oil from water,its main purpose being to receive the ballast water from oil carryingships and to effect the separation by a systemincluding a 5 series ofbafiles, so arranged in air tight compartments that the strata of oilwhich form in the compartments may be subjected to head pressure in thesystem for delivery outside the compartments, while permitting a theflow of clear water to continue toward another point of delivery. Theseparating organismincludes an entrance or main compartment, which Icall a monitor, because it is in this compartment 5- that the liquidhead is. established and re nlated according to the desired rate of owthrough the system. This monitor is of relatively large area, becausethereby the liquid flow therein may be slow, giving time for oil to riseand become "pocketed by an inclined battle, located below the liquidlevel, whence it can be passed to a receiving compartment or emulsiontank.

The ballast water is delivered into the monitor upwardly at a lowerpoint therein, and passes through an aperture near its base into anadjacent compartment, whose opposite wall is provided at a pointintermediate its height with an aperture leading into a furthercompartment. I employ a succession of these compartments, which are airtight except for-the inlet and outlet apertures. Therefore the oil whichrises inthe compartments above the outlet apertures will be entrappedbeneath the cover or root. This cover is inclined to form a baffle, andis provided at its peak witl1.controlled-outlet means, so thataccumulated oil may be with drawn therefrom under the head pressure, andthence passed into the receiving compartment.

The final compartment of these-ries contains a vertical pipe whichextends to near the base thereof and enables the separated water to passofl' through a delivery pipe which is adjustable as to its exitheight,

whereby the degree of head pressure in the system may be regulated.

()ther features and advantages of my in- W vention will hereinafterappear.

In the drawings:

' Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved oiland water separating barge.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 1.

The hull of my improved barge is indicated in the drawings by thenumeral 1. This term barge is not used by mein alimit ing sense but asrepresentative of a vessel suited to the purposes of my invention.

The barge is intended to lie alongside an oil carrying or oil using shipwhen the ballast water or bilge water therefrom is to be pumpedoverboard. the barge receiving this water, from which it separates andconserves the contained oil and delivers overboard only the clear water.

The barge is provided toward one end with a monitor 2 which is in theform of a compartment having the spaced walls 3, t that extendtransversely from side to side of the hull. ,The monitor2 is open at itstop, and contains, near its upper end, a transverse ba'llie 5 thatextends at a downward inclination from the wall 3 toward the wall 4,

A drain valve 7 in wall 3, just below the peak of battle 5, enables theentrapped oil to e passed ed, and conveyed, as by a stand pi e 8,,intoan emulsion tank 9, which is provided between the wall 3 and the bargeend 10.

Extended downwardly within the-monitor is a pipe 11, whose upper endis-intended to connect with a hose (not shown)- by which bil "e water orballast water is delivered from a s ips bottom or oil tanks. This pipe11, which is suitably supported, bein here shown connected to the loafie5, through which it is passed, has an upturned lower end 12, suitablydistanced from the monitor bottom, so that it may deliver the ballastWater in an upward stream within the monitor. The particular purpose ofthis arrangement will appear hereinafter in the description of theoperation.

In the plan view of Fig. 2, there will be seen a midship section whichcontains a vertical donkey-boiler 13, feed pump 14, oil and water pump15, fuel tank 16, and feed water tank 17; These or equivalent equipmentdevices are useful adjuncts in the operation of the system, thoughforming no part of the oil and water separating means. This midshipsection is contained between two longitudinal bulkheads 18, 19, and themonitor wall 4, and a transverse wall 20, which latter, like the wall 4,extends from side to side of the hull. Between the walls 4 and 20 aretwo series of oil and water separating compartments, one series ofcompartmentsthe bulkhead 18 and its adjacent side of the barge, and theother series 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 being provided between the bulkhead19 and its adjacent side of the barge.

Since the compartments of both series arel' alike it will suflice todescribe those of one series.

For instance the compartment 21 is'formed between wall 4 and atransverse wall 31, compartment 22 is formed between wall 31 and asucceeding wall 32, and similarly the compartments 23, 24 and 25 areformed between the pairs of walls 32, 33; 33, 34; and

34, 20. Inlet to compartment 21 is through a base opening 35 in wall4;inlet to com- 1 pertinent 22 is through an intermediate opening 36 inwall 31, and succeeding walls alternately have the base and intermediateinlet openings 37, 38 and 39, the wall 20 having the intermediateopening 40 which leads into a compartment 41 that extends across thebarge from side to side thereof, formed between Wall 20 and a final wall42; this compartment 41 being the last of the series and containing adelivery pipe 43 for the clear water that flows therein. Excepting fortheir inlets and theoutlet pipe 43 the compartments are air tight, beingclosed by the bottom 44 and the inclined or peaked cover or roof 45.

The reception end of pipe 43 is located a suitable distance above thebase 44 to be below traces of oil which may have entered the finalcompartment 41, but which will tend to rise and lie in an upper stratumtherein.

Hence it will be practically clear water that passes through pipe 43. Anelbow joint 46 connecting with the top of pipe 43 is extended throughwall 42, and there engages, by a swivelled joint 47 with a delivery pipe48, which can thus be swung through a vertical plane to vary theelevation of its discharge end. The tackle X carried by a standard Y onthe bargeis shown as the operating means. a

by way oi piples 'to the level indicated by the dotted line Thecompartments 21, 22, 23, 24, and. 25 are each provided, near the peak oftheir coinmon cover 45, with discharge pipes 49 which each have acontrolling valve 50, the pipes 49 being all arranged to discharge intoa trough 51, suitably supported upon roof 45,-=

lengthwise of the barge, and disposed in an inclined plane extendeddownwardly toward the monitor, where it. connects with a pipethan thebottom, and with a sluggish flow of pressure at which the system isoperating. f

In consequence, when, periodically, any one or more of the valves 50 areopened by an attendant,.theentrapped oilwill be forced out through pipes49 into trough 51, for delivery, through pipes 52 and 53 to the emulsiontank 9.

The inlet 40 to as'in a higher plane than the other inlets. This isbecause the liquid that has reached compartment 25 will be almostdenuded of oil, and there will be little if any oil' remaining tocollect above inlet 40.

As has previously been stated, the compartments 26, 2'7, 28, 29 and 30,at the other side of the midship section, are identical in every respectwith the compartments 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25, the liquid leaving themonitor being divided bythe midshi section and being-subject in eachseries 0 compartments to similar treatment, for the sepaclear water fromboth series to pass into -the final compartment 41. 1

The trough 51 receives the entrapped oil from compartments 26, 27, 28,29 and 30 54, each controlled by a valve 55, whic like the valves 50 maybe operated by an attendant from a -gangwe 56. l

n the operation of my improved so arating system, the discharge pi e 48is rst.

raised to such a height aswi 1. bring the point of dischar e level withthe required liquid level in t e monitor. All compartments and themonitor are then filled with sea water, usin pump 15. and carrying n;

Then a ships overboard discharge hose is connected to the pi e 11.Whenpumpin Inn compartment 41 is shown. I

of ballast water or ilge water has starte Ltsac'ze erator lowers thedischarge pipe l8 suifi-- ciently to provide the drop in head necessaryto cause the flow through the system at about the same rate at which theship is discharging. This need not be exactly correct, as within certainlimits it is automatic.

If the pipe 48 is not lowered suificiently the water level in themonitor will rise, thereby providing additional head, if too much thelevel will fall; The level in the monitor 2 should be such as willprovide a liquid head capable of exerting a moderate pressure in thecompartments, so that the oil entrapped above the slots may whenaccumulated to a suitable depth be forced out through thepipes 49, 54:,upon opening the valves 50, 55. This liquid head is sufiicient at alltimes to maintain the closed compartments entirely filled with the oiland water.

After the pumping operation the oil in tank 9 can be heated, as by theheater coils \56, to facilitate the separation of whatever water mayremain in the oil. Then the Water in tank 9 is pumped into the monitoruntil oil shows therein; and the dehydrated oil in tank 9. is thenpumped by suitable means, not herein shown, into the tank 57 at theother end of the barge. This tank 57 may also be provided with heatingcoils 58.

the system, so that when any of the valves and are 0 ened, oil from thecompartments controlle by those valves will be discharged for delivervto the emulsion tank.

j {A further feature of my invention, it will be noted, consists inrestricting the upper area of the closed compartments, as evidenced inthe present example by vthe inpartments from their clined covers 45, andin draining said comeaks or most re-' stricted portions, as in thismanner the stratum of oil formed in a compartment above a slot 36, 38 or40 may be completely drained therefrom upon opening the valve whichserves that compartment, notwithstanding the barge or vessel may besubject to motion communicated by the bod of water in which it floats.The restrlcted upper or drainage portions of theclosedcompartmentsftherefore avoid the necessity of maintaining ahorizontal. level therein.

Variations within the spirit/and scope of s-"said invention are equallcomprehended by the foregoing disclosure.

a I claim: I p

1. An apparatus fdr separatingmixed oil and water which comprises aseries of closed compartments having communicating means, a supplycompartment having reception means for the mixed liquid, an inclinedbattle located in said supply compartment, to entrap oil thereunder,discharge means for the entrapped. oil, near the peak of the balile, anda delivery compartment having discharge means, means for establishing aliquid head in the apparatus, the closed compartments serving to pocketoil rising therein to be subjected to the head pressure, the

communicating means permitting the separated water to flowto thesuccessive compartments for discharge from the delivery compartment, andcontrolled-means for discharging the pocketed oil.

cation from said supply com artment to the first closed compartment 0each series, an emulsion receivin compartment at one end of the vessel,an an 011 receiving compartment at the other end of the vessel, thesupply compartment havin inclined bafiie means to entrap oil rising terein, draina it means at the" upper portion of said ba e, the closedcompartments eachhaving upper portions of restricted area, drainagemeans for said portions o'frestricted area, separate means'for conveyingoil drained-from the sup ly and closed compartments to the emu 1oncompartment, means for discharging water from the'final compartment, andmeans for transferrin oil from the emulsion compartment to time oilreceiving compartment. I

8. In an apparatus for separating mixed ciland water, the combination,in a covered vesselaof a series of vertical partitions within sai vesselextendin up to its cover, said partitions being spaced apart to formsucceeding, closed compartments, alternate partitions being providedwith openings respectively toward their lower and up r portions as.means of communication fitwe en adjacent compartments, the upperopenings being spaced from the cover, means of supplying mixed oil andwater under. head pressure to fill said com rt ments in succession,those portions 0 the partitions above the viper openings therein servingto entrap t e top strata of oil within the compartments, means forreleasing the entrapped oil, and means 'for delivering thesejparatediwater partment o the series. i

4. In an apparatus for separating mixed from the last comstricted area,alternate partitions being provided withv openings respectively towardtheir lower and upper portions as means of communication betweenadjacent compartments, the upper openings being spaced from the cover,means of supplying mixed oil and water under head pressure to fill saidcompartments in succession, those portions of the partitions above theupper openings therein serving to entrap the top strata of oil withinthe restricted upper portions of the compartments, means for releasingthe entrapped oil, and means for delivering the separated water from thelast compartment of the series. I

5. In an apparatus for separating mixed oil and water, the combination,in a covered vessel, of a series of vertical partitions withtweenadjacent compartments, the upper openings being spaced from the cover, asupply compartmentof relatively large ca pacity and of greater heightthan the closed compartments having reception means for the mixedliquid, said supply compartment communicating near its base with thefirst ot said closed compartments, and a delivery compartment, havingdlscharge means, in

communication with, the lastof said closed compartments, those portions.of the' parti-' tions above the upper openings therein serving to entrapthe top strata of oil within the closed compartments, .and m'ea-ns forre-. a leasing the entrapped oil.

Executed this 14th day of December, 1923.

-' GEORGE P; HAYNES.

